Why is British horse racing going on strike?

British horse racing will hold a one-day strike in opposition to the proposed tax increase for betting on the sport.

Following four rescheduled meetings by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), which claims a tax increase would hurt revenue and jobs, no fixtures will be held on September 10.

The following meetings have been changed to Wednesday, September 10th, making it a blank day.

Lingfield Park (afternoon) – 8 September (afternoon)

Carlisle (afternoon) – evening (9 September)

Uttoxeter (afternoon) to (evening) 11 September

Leading jockeys, trainers, and owners will attend an event in Westminster where they will lobby MPs, but there won’t be any racing in the country.

The four-day St Leger meeting in Doncaster, which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attended last year, is on the eve of the event, which is the first time in modern history that the sport has voluntarily declined to compete.

The Treasury wants to combine the Treasury’s existing online gambling obligations.

This could align with online gaming, such as casino and slot games, which are currently taxed at 21%, and raise the 15% rate paid by bookmakers for racing.

To reduce bureaucracy, a Treasury official stated: “We are consulting on aligning the treatment of online gambling with other forms of gambling.”

With more than 1,400 matches played annually, horse racing is the second-largest spectator sport in the world after football.

The sport’s leaders are concerned that lower odds and customer bonuses will result in lower customer engagement, which could make betting on racing less appealing and potentially entice people to the black market.

Pricing checks for punters, which aim to reduce problem gambling, have already reduced betting turnover.

Reduced turnover has a knock-on effect because major bookmakers are required to donate 10% of racing profits through a levy, which raises more than £100 million annually and is used to fund race prize money and other charitable causes.

Increased taxes, according to activists and some MPs, could fund welfare programs and combat bad gambling.

According to an economic analysis conducted by the BHA, the industry could lose £330 million in revenue if the industry is aligned with the current tax rate paid by bookmakers to racing in the first five years.

Nicky Henderson, a renowned trainer of jumps, is one of the participants in the backseat.

Although I don’t necessarily support using strikes as a tool, he said, “the message needs to be sent that this tax could cripple.”

It’s not a weapon to which I’d ordinarily advise using, but given the circumstances, I would say we’re likely to have few options.

The BGC, which represents bookmakers, online gambling companies, gaming companies, and casinos, claims it was not asked to participate.

The decision to reschedule matches was made without consulting the betting companies, whose support for the sport’s funding is crucial, the statement read.

The fixtures will be changed, but the change will cost around £200, 000 in lost revenue on the day, according to estimates.

It’s certainly not a decision we have taken lightly, BHA CEO Brant Dunshea told BBC Radio 5 Live.

The industry is united in their conviction that cost is a small price to pay to ensure government communication is delivered in a loud and clear manner.

The sport thinks racing betting should be treated differently from online chance games with fixed-profit margins offered by operators, where punters study their form and use their knowledge to place bets.

As things stand, there are no more strikes planned.

The action aims to promote the BHA’s “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign. Around 10,000 people signed the petition against the proposed tax increases when the strike was made public on August 16th.

A service called Ask Me Anything is dedicated to responding to your inquiries.

We want to reward your time by educating you on topics you may not otherwise understand.

The team will be able to connect you with a network of contacts, including our experts and experts, to provide you with all the information you require.

We’ll respond to your inquiries right in the BBC Sport newsroom and visit some of the world’s biggest sporting events from the backstage.